Educational puzzle



Aug. 4, 1953 s. M.v FORD EDUCATIONAL PUZZLE Filed Jan. 6, 1950 ZSnventor Silas M Ford 8g gwmiavg '(Ittomeg Patented Aug. 4, 1953 i" UNITED TATE EDUCATIONAL PUZZLE I Silas Morris Ford, St. Paul, Minn.- I j Application Januaryfi,1950;SerialNo.:137,049

My invention relates to an improvement in educational puzzles wherein it is desired to provide a simple' toy device useful in the education of children.

- Toy puzzles have sometimes been found-useful for educational purposes. For example puzzles have'been produced which bear a clock face and which may be put together to producea complete clock. However, in the past these puzzles'have either been completely separable so that the en-. tire area of the puzzle is cut into small pieces or else the device has been produced in the manner of a clock with a fixed'central island about which the parts of the puzzle may beplaced. i

An object of the present-invention lies in the provision of a clock type puzzle having an outer frame having a generally circular aperture therein. This aperture is designed to accommodate a series of puzzle pieces which fit together to form the face of a clock. All'of the parts within the circular aperture are removable, but in order to locate the center of the clock and-the numerals thereof in proper location, one of thepuz- 'zlepieces includes a proje'ction"which extends beyond the periphery of the remaindenof'the aperture. Thus one of the puzzle pieces is definitely related to the outer frame of the puzzle. As the center part of the puzzle which supports the pivoted hands is mountable only in a predetermined relation to the located puzzle part and as the remaining puzzle pieces fit only in certain predetermined sequence with the center part of the puzzle, the parts of the puzzle must fit in certain definite relation when the puzzle is assembled.

A feature of the present invention lies in the provision of a puzzle having a series of pieces of generally similar shape and in providing a means of determining the sequence in whichthese pieces must be placed. As a result the proper location of the numerals and their relationship with other numerals and with the remainder of the clock may be definitely fixed.

These and other objects and novel features of my invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of my specification:

Figure l is a top plan view of the puzzle.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the same.

The puzzle A illustrated in the drawings comprises a frame portion l0 having a central aperture or pocket I I therein which extends partially through the frame. In usual practice the game board is made up of two laminations of material with theaperture ll extending' throughone of these laminations. l l

I 'he' aperture H is circular in plan with 'the exception of a notch l 2 atone peripheral position of theaperture. This notch 12 is designed to accommodate asimilarly shaped "projection I3 on a puzzle piece It. The puzzle piece l4' isshown as being located at-th'e top of the aperture H, but can be at any point about the peripheryof the aperture. i The game piece I4is bounded ontwo sides by radial lines l5 and I6 whichextend from the circular periphery of the-game piece inwardly toward the center of'the aperture. A central game piece I1 is separated from the" game piece M along an irregular saw cut I9 which definitely locates the game pieces [4 and I1- relative to'one another. In other Words when the game piece I4 is in place with the projection l-3,'extendin'gi.into the notch [2,.the game piece- IT may 'onlyfit in onesp'ecific relationship thereto; 1i

The game piece I4 is provided with clockindicia such as the numeral twelve illustrated at 2B.' The game piece Mmay also be provided with indicia 2i, indicating the-numeral sixty to' indicate sixty minutes in a complete hour.

A game piece 22 is formed of Wedge shaped construction having a curved line at its outer edge to fit the contour of the aperture l I and being bounded on opposite sides by radial cut lines It and 23. The game piece 22 bears the numeral one indicated at 24 and also indicates the numeral five at 25 which indicates five minutes after the hour.

The successive game pieces 26, 21, 29, 30, 3|, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36, each bear indicia indicating successive hours of the day from two to eleven inclusive. These game pieces also bear indicia indicating corresponding minutes of an hour, each successive game piece indicating a numeral five minutes in advance of the preceding game piece. All of the game pieces are provided with irregularly shaped inner outlines so that each game piece may fit in only one predetermined relation to the center game piece l1.

When the clock is assembled, it is thus provided with thirteen removable game pieces, twelve of which are arranged about the periphery of the aperture and the thirteenth of which fills the center part of the aperture and fits the peripheral game pieces only when the peripheral game pieces are correctly arranged. Thus the center piece 11 may be inserted into place only if all of the other game pieces are in their proper location as the peripheral piece are first inserted.

It will be noted that all of the peripheral game pieces with the exception of the piece H are similar in shape having a similarly curved outer edge and radially extending sides. All of the peripheral game pieces are of equal width so that these pieces may be inserted in any relationship as long as the center part IT is not inserted or is not in place. However, to completely form the puzzle all of the pieces must be in properrelationship.

The center game piece I! is provided with a central pivot 31 upon which are mounted clock hands 39 and 40. The hand 39 is longer than the hand 40 and similates the minute hand of a clock while the hand 40 similates the hour hand. By rotating the hands 39 and 40 the clock may be moved from one position to another to assist the child in learning to tell time. In the use of the puzzle the child learns to associate the various numbers in specific relationship to one another and. thereby learns to d t rmine the individual numerals and the appearance of the numerals. lhe child also learns to associate the numerals indicating the minutes of the hour with the hours of the day and is: thueassisted in learning to tell time. The numerals also are of assistance in teaching the child to add. The individual puzzle pieces encircling the center piece H are colored in various colors so that the proper sequence of colors in the color wheel may be noted. For example, in the puzzle produced the puzzle pieces 32 and 33 are colored red, the puzzle pieces 34 and 35 are colored orange and the puzzle pieces 36 and I4 are colored yellow. The puzzle. pieces 22 and 26 ar colored green, the pieces 21 and 29v are colored blue, and the puzzle pieces 25 and 26 are colored purple. It. will be noted that with this arrangement a color wheel is termed in which complementary colors are in opp sed relation. It may also be seen how orange. green and violet may be produced by mixing the three primary colors.

In accordance with the patent statutes. I have described the principles of construction and operation ot'my educational puzzle construction,

and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that obvious changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A puzzle game including a game piece having a generally circular aperture therein, a removable irregularly shaped center piece located in the center of said aperture, a pair of hands plvotally connected to said center piece, a series of twelve puzzle pieces encircling said center piece and interfitting therewith along an irregular line, a numeral on each of said twelve puzzle pieces, these numerals corresponding in value and location to the numerals of a clock dial, each of said puzzle pieces having a generally curved outer edge and similar radially extending sides, and interfitting means between one of said twelve game pieces and the periphery of the aperture to definitely locate one same piece relative to the a erture.

2. A puzzle game including a frame piece having a generally circular aperture thereinend a notch communicating with said aperture. a removable irregularly shaped center piece located in the center of said aperture, a pair of hands pivotally connected to said center piece, and a series of twelve puzzle pieces encircling said center piece and interfitting therewith along. an irregular line, a numeral on. each of said twelve puzzle pieces, these numerals corresponding in value and location to the numerals of a clock dial. each of said puzzle pieces having a generally curved outer edge and similar radially extending sides, and one of said twelve pieces. carrying a projection engageable with said notch.

SILAtEl MORRIS FORD.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 802,807 Fitch Oct. 24, 1905 1,276,344 Gilman. Aug. 20, 1 18 2,443,468 Madden V June 15, 19% 

